How to Make Ribbon Rosettes: An Easy DIY Craft You Can Do with Leftover Gift Wrapping

How to Make Ribbon Rosettes: An Easy DIY Craft You Can Do with Leftover Gift Wrapping

Wondering what to do with all of the gift wrapping you’ve been mindlessly hoarding because you can’t bear to dump it unceremoniously into the bin? Well, lucky days, have I got the craft project for you. In this easy, breezy guide, I’m going to lift the lid on how to make your own rosette out of ribbons, so these beautiful scraps of fabric get the attention they deserve.

Want to put a personal twist on a hen do rosette? Preparing to celebrate the birthday of someone very special? Got a pageant, awards ceremony or other event on the horizon? You can speed through this DIY in less than an hour and attain an unbeatable, personalised finish. Let’s get cracking.

 

Contents:

 

A Mini Background on Rosettes

When I was digging around the internet to see how other crafters were going about making their own ribbon rosettes, I stumbled across this curious fact: rosettes, the shape itself, dates back much further than I expected.

First observed in sculptural objects from antiquity, it filtered through the cultures of Mesopotamia and Ancient Greece and into Romanesque and Renaissance architecture. Nowadays, the design is synonymous with pageantry and politics (an amusing contrast).

For our purposes in this tutorial, I want to flag their increasingly broad usage. You could bring them to a hen/stag do, birthday party, wedding, work party, or awards ceremony; add one to your pooch’s harness; or simply sport the rosette on a bag as a cute accessory. I could easily see one embellishing the base of a graduation cake or being used as a low-cost, customised giveaway at a small business festival.

My point is that with the right material, colour and finish, these ribbon rosettes suit any occasion along the casual to fancy continuum.

The Best Type of Ribbon for the Job

So, before we begin, you’re probably wondering which types of ribbon are best suited to the project? Generally, this depends on the intended use of your rosettes; if it’s going up on display, durability isn’t going to be a concern, but if you need it for a specific event or occasion, you don’t want the rosette falling apart on you. Fraying material is a no-no on pageant day.

In keeping with this notion, here are my recommendations as a ribbon connoisseur:

  • Satin for a smooth, shiny finish akin to a traditional show rosette
  • Grosgrain or Petersham if you’re after a bit of texture, along with added durability
  • A cotton x jute mix to evoke pastoral romance
  • Velvet and lurex to impress with a dramatic flourish
  • Something stitched or lacey to dial up the homemade handicraft appeal

You can also opt for specific prints befitting of the function, for instance, chicks for a ribbon rosette adorning an Easter hamper or stars for Christmas.

Turning Ribbon Into a Colourful Rosette

With that preamble out of the way, here’s how to make a rosette out of ribbon.

What You’ll Need

Ribbon in your preferred colour, 1-2 inches wide for standard look

Scissors

  • Cardstock or felt for the backing
  • Glue, ideally using a glue gun, or a needle and thread
  • Buttons and other accessories for the decorative centrepiece
  • A pin for the back
  • Extra ribbon in a secondary colour/pattern for the tail

How to Make a Rosette From Ribbon Step-By-Step

There are two ways of approaching this DIY: the glue gun route or the sewing route. Both work well, but if you’re short on time, the former is the way to go.

Step 1: Get Your Mitts on this Ribbon Rosette Template

Print off or copy the diagram above onto your cardstock to act as a guide for your pleating. Trust me, this keeps your folds all the more neat and even.

… However, if you’re confident enough to go it alone, feel free to. You might be following the sewing method, and in this case, you’ll likely prefer to use felt as the backing, which might prove more difficult to mark up with the lines. Here, it’s better to use a piece of reference paper with the diagram.

Step 2: Cut Your Ribbon to Size

For one medium rosette, cut 60–90 cm of ribbon for the pleated circle and then 2 tail pieces about 15–20 cm long. Note that this is completely customisable, so do tailor these measurements however you so please.

Step 3: Begin making the Pleats

This is where the magic begins to happen. Starting at one end of the ribbon, fold it back and forth in even accordion-style pleats, aiming for folds around 2–3cm deep. Keep the pleats as consistent as possible if you want that polished, professional rosette appearance.

If you’re following the glue gun method, add a tiny dab of glue between each fold as you go to hold the structure in place. Those taking the sewing route should run a loose stitch along the bottom edge of the pleats instead, threading through each fold as they build the ribbon stack.

You should end up with something resembling a concertina or paper fan by the time you reach the end of the ribbon.

Step 4: Form the Circle

Once all your pleats are complete, bring the two ribbon ends together to form a ring shape. If you’re using glue, secure the ends with a generous blob at the join and hold it firmly until set. Sewing enthusiasts can simply stitch the ends together.

Now comes the satisfying part: gently spread the pleats outward into a circular rosette shape. Don’t panic if it looks a little unruly at first; a bit of nudging and fluffing usually coaxes it into place. The finished circle should sit roughly 10–14cm wide, depending on how much ribbon you used and how tightly packed your pleats are.

Step 5 (Optional): Add Another Pleated Layer

For a fuller award-style ribbon, add a top pleated layer following the previous steps. This time, though, you’ll want to aim for a length 1.5x smaller so it’s nicely contained.

So, if I started with a 90cm ribbon for the first round of pleating, I’d want a second circle using 60cm of ribbon.

Step 6: Secure the Rosette Structure with the Backing

To stop all your hard work unravelling, attach the rosette to a backing circle made from cardstock or felt. I’d recommend a backing roughly 4–5cm wide, though you can trim this down later if needed.

Glue-gun crafters can simply press the pleated ribbon firmly onto the backing while the glue is warm. If you’ve sewn the rosette, pull your gathering thread tight first to flatten the shape, then stitch the whole structure securely onto the felt circle.

Step 7: Add Your Ribbon Tails

Now for the flourish. Take your two tail pieces and trim the ends into a fishtail or inverted “V” shape for that classic award-rosette finish.

Attach the tails to the back of the rosette, positioning them slightly apart so they fan out beneath the circle. You can keep things symmetrical and traditional, or offset them for a more whimsical, handmade look.

Personally, I love using a contrasting ribbon here to bring in an extra colour or texture.

Step 8: Embellish with the Centrepiece

Finally, disguise the middle join and give your rosette some personality with a decorative centrepiece. Buttons work beautifully for a vintage-inspired look, though printed fabric, badges, gems or beads all do the trick nicely too.

If you’re making rosettes for an event, this is the perfect spot to personalise them with names, dates, slogans or cheeky inside jokes. Hen-do rosettes positively thrive on a bit of chaos here.

Aim for a centrepiece around 3–4cm wide so it covers the middle comfortably without overwhelming the folds. Then simply glue or stitch it into place and admire your handiwork.

Boom! That was how to make a ribbon rosette in just 8 steps.

Conclusion: Don’t Let Your Ribbon Go to Waste

We’re specialists in ribbon, and have been for more than 40 years. So, naturally, the thought of it collecting dust in the back of a drawer or,  worse still, perfectly good material being fast-tracked to landfill breaks my heart.

Give it a second chance at life with this beginner-friendly craft, as a gift or a personal accessory. It might be a touch fiddly, but I promise you the results are well worth it.

In Need of Supplies?

You used up your entire stash of ribbon from this year’s presents already. In that case, allow me to point you towards our range of craft ribbons – we truly have all sorts colour-, size-, design- and finish-wise. A spectrum of colour awaits.

 

Frequently Asked Questions

What Ribbon Works Best for Making Rosettes?

Grosgrain ribbon is generally the easiest to work with because it holds pleats beautifully and resists fraying. Satin ribbon gives a more traditional shiny award-rosette finish, while velvet, lace or patterned ribbons create a more decorative look.

Do I Need to Sew a Rosette Ribbon?

Not at all. A hot glue gun works brilliantly if you’re after a quicker, beginner-friendly option. Sewing simply provides a slightly sturdier finish if the rosette will be worn frequently or needs to survive a lively event.

How Much Ribbon Do I Need for One Rosette?

For a medium-sized rosette, around 60–90cm of ribbon is usually enough for the main pleated circle, plus an additional 30–40cm for the tails. Larger or fuller rosettes will naturally require more.

How Do I Stop the Ribbon from Fraying?

You can trim the ends neatly with sharp scissors and lightly seal them using a fray-check solution or a quick pass near a flame (very carefully, especially with synthetic ribbons). Grosgrain ribbon tends to fray less than satin.

What Can I Use for the Centrepiece?

Buttons, badges, printed paper circles, fabric-covered discs, gems or bows all work wonderfully. For parties and events, personalised names, dates or slogans make a lovely finishing touch.

How Long Does It Take to Make a Ribbon Rosette?

Most simple rosettes can be completed in around 30–60 minutes, depending on how elaborate you want the design to be and whether you’re gluing or sewing everything by hand.